起点传媒

Awareness, Policies & Procedures

起点传媒 is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment for everyone associated with the college.

The college prohibits any form of violence. For purposes of this policy, violence includes, but is not limited to, harassment, intimidation, threats, physical attack, domestic violence, and property damage.

起点传媒 will respond to workplace violence promptly and aggressively. This policy includes, but is not limited to, employees, students, visitors, college officers and college officials.

Any individual who commits an act of violence toward other persons or property in the 起点传媒 workplace or at 起点传媒 sponsored events, shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from employment or expulsion from the college, in addition to any civil and/or criminal penalties that may be pursued.

No existing college policy, practice, or procedure should be interpreted to prohibit prevention of violence as defined in this policy.

Immediate Threat of Workplace Violence

In certain cases, an individual may become violent without warning. It is important for staff to remain calm, evaluate the situation and summon assistance immediately. Employees should utilize the safest means available at the time to notify campus security.

  • Do not attempt to challenge a violent individual.
  • Off-campus sites: Immediately call the police by dialing 911, or 9-911. Remain calm and listen to the dispatchers instructions.
  • When possible, call the main campus switchboard operator (692-6185). The switchboard will alert campus security of the situation.
  • If engaged in dialogue with the individual, attempt to calm the individual. If the situation escalates, disengage as soon as safely possible.
  • Employees should secure themselves in an area removed from the situation and remain there until security advises otherwise.

Imminent Death of Serious Bodily Injury

If an incident of workplace violence escalates to a level that jeopardizes the life of an employee or student, faculty and/or staff should utilize the safest means available to notify the police and campus security.

  • Do not attempt to challenge the individual.
  • Immediately call the police by dialing 911 or 9-911. Remain calm and listen to the dispatchers instructions.
  • When possible, dial 0 to reach the switchboard operator. The caller should provide as much information as possible to ensure a quick and safe response.
  • The switchboard will alert campus security of the situation as soon as possible.
  • If engaged in dialogue with the individual attempt to calm the individual. If the situation escalates, disengage as soon as safely possible.
  • Upon exiting, secure yourself in an area removed from the situation and remain there until security advises otherwise.

At the discretion of campus security, it may be necessary to initiate the crisis management plan. Accordingly, the crisis management team will assemble and execute the crisis management plan.

When appropriate, the crisis management team will review the incident and evaluate the plan.

Identifying early warning signs of workplace violence:
An individual:

  • makes direct or veiled threats of harm towards another person.
  • intimidates a staff member.
  • carries a concealed weapon or flashes a weapon to test the reactions of faculty, staff or students.
  • displays paranoid behavior.
  • cites righteousness and believes that the college is not following its own rules.
  • is unable to take criticism of his or her job or work performance.
  • expresses extreme desperation over recent family, financial, or personal problems.
  • has a history of violent behavior.
  • shows an extreme interest in firearms and their destructive power to people.
  • displays a fascination with incidents of workplace violence and approves of such violence under certain circumstances.
  • has a blatant disregard for the safety of others on campus.
  • displays an obsessive involvement with their job, often with uneven job performance and no apparent outside interests.
  • displays a romantic obsession with an employee or student who does not share the same interest.

 

Identifying an immediate threat of workplace violence:
An individual:

  • uses profanity, a loud voice, makes threats, and/or insistent demands.
  • appears anxious, paces, throws items or displays restless motor activities.
  • has ripped or torn clothing and/or has visible signs of bruises and lacerations.

 

Identifying an incident that could result in imminent death or serious bodily injury:

Serious imminent incidents often involve a weapon whereby an individual:

  • has shot or is threatening to shoot someone on the campus
  • has used or is threatening to use a weapon against another person and is still on the campus.
  • is holding members of the campus community hostage.

For a victim, domestic violence is a very personal issue and can be potentially dangerous. Prompt recognition and assessment of a domestic violence situation is paramount in getting a domestic violence victim help. In the case of domestic violence, the more indicators present the greater potential for a life-threatening situation.

Any faculty members, staff members, or students who become aware of situations that threaten the safety of the campus community must notify campus security individual immediately.

Dangerous indicators may be when an individual (batterer):

  • threatens homicide or suicide.
  • is in possession of weapons.
  • believes he/she (batterer) have 鈥渙wnership鈥 over another person (victim).
  • believes he/she (batterer) have lost hope for a positive future with the victim.
  • is involved in a separation.
  • displays signs of depression.
  • has gained or seeks access to the battered person and/or family members.
  • makes repeated calls to law enforcement.
  • engages in actions without fear of consequences.

If you feel based on the circumstances [or indicators] that the situation warrants further action, encourage the victim to seek additional help by contacting the police, campus security, a campus counselor or the appropriate dean.

The following are possible (victim) indicators of domestic violence.
An individual:

  • presents visible signs of bruises, cuts, burns, human bite marks, and fractures, especially injuries to the eyes, nose, teeth and jaw.
  • suffers injury during pregnancy, miscarries, or experiences premature birth.
  • allows injuries to go untreated.
  • has multiple injuries that are in different stages of healing.
  • displays inappropriate clothing or accessories, possibly to cover signs of injury (i.e. long sleeves on a hot day or sunglasses to cover bruises).
  • has stress-related ailments (i.e. headaches, backaches, problems sleeping)
  • has anxiety-related conditions (i.e. overwhelming feelings of panic).
  • is experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts or makes an attempt at suicide
  • displays excessive use of alcohol or other drugs.
  • has attendance problems, difficulty concentrating, or problems meeting deadlines/assignments.
  • receives repeated upsetting telephone calls at work/ school.
  • has withdrawn from co-workers/fellow students.

Discussing a safety plan with potential victims or those who have endured a violent incident should help victims assess his/her circumstance and evaluate whether his/her abuser is likely to injure or kill them, other family members, or police personnel.

起点传媒 students who are victims of domestic violence should:

  • immediately make campus officials aware of his/her situation
  • become familiar with the use and location of emergency call boxes on campus.
  • know where phones are accessible inside buildings.
  • walk with someone while on campus.
  • not isolate his/herself while on campus.
  • request a change in his/her class schedule from the appropriate dean.
  • switch vehicles frequently (if possible).
  • alternate his/her route to the campus.

General safety planning with the victim should include :

  • encouraging him/her to have the names and phone numbers of police, community resources, friends, family members, and shelter officials who can assist him/her.
  • alerting him/her that while the perpetrator may presently may be removed from the situation due to an arrest, it is likely he/she [batterer] will try to threaten or 鈥渟weet talk鈥 their way back into his/her life.
  • discussing his /her potential options for temporary living arrangements, (i.e. shelter, staying with family/friend, asking someone to stay with them).
  • developing a plan of action in the instance that the batterer returns to the house after being released from custody.
  • advising him/her how to find out when their partner will be released.
  • explaining how he/she can obtain a domestic violence protective order.

If the victim intends to leave their residence he/she should:

  • develop a list of items he/she will need to take (i.e. money, personal papers, car keys, change of clothing).
  • determine an individual with whom he/she can leave money, an extra set of keys, and extra clothes.
  • determine the best scenario for leaving or removing any children from the residence or arrange for someone to care for them in the interim.
  • keep the phone number to a shelter along with change or a calling card close at hand at all times.
  • review the safety plan in order to plan the safest way to leave.
  • understand that leaving the batterer can be the most dangerous time.

If the victim plans to continue in the relationship he/she should:

  • try to have any unavoidable arguments in a room that has access to an exit, avoiding the bathroom(s), kitchen, or anywhere room which has weapons.
  • practice how to get out of the home safely.
  • have an undisclosed, readily accessible packed bag.
  • identify a neighbor that he/she can tell about the violence and ask them to call the police if they hear a disturbance.
  • have a plan where he/she will go if they have to leave his/her home.

Domestic Violence & the Law Booklet (PDF)

Sexual Assault is defined as any involuntary sexual act in which a person is threatened, coerced, or forced to engage against their will, or any sexual touching of a person who has not consented. This includes rape (such as forced vaginal, anal, oral penetration), groping, forced kissing, child sexual abuse, or the torture of a victim in a sexual manner.

Sexual Violence refers to a type of sex/gender discrimination involving physical sexual acts perpetrated against a persons will or where a person is incapable of giving consent (e.g., due to the students age or use of drugs or alcohol, or because an intellectual or other disability prevents the person from having the capacity to give consent). A number of different acts, as defined below fall into the category of Sexual Violence including: dating violence, domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual coercion, and stalking. Sexual Violence can be carried out by school employees, other students, or third parties.

Dating Violence is defined as violence by a person who has been in a romantic or intimate relationship with the victim. Whether there was such a relationship will be gauged by its length, type, and frequency of interaction.

Domestic Violence is defined as asserted violent misdemeanor and felony offenses committed by the victims current or former spouse, current or former co-inhabitant, persons similarly situated under a domestic or family violence law, or anyone else protected under domestic or family law.

Rape is defined as non-consensual sexual intercourse, however slight, with any object, by one person upon another person that is without consent and/or done by force.

Sexual Battery shall be defined as an unwanted form of contact with an intimate part of the body that is made for purposes of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse. Sexual battery may occur whether the victim is clothed or not.

Sexual Coercion shall be defined as any act of persuading or coercing a person into engaging in an unwanted sexual activity through physical force, the threat of physical force, or emotional manipulation. It may also include substance coercion. Coercive situations may occur along a continuum and may not be obvious, even to the coerced individual.

Stalking is defined as a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for her, his, or others safety, or to suffer substantial emotional distress. Please see section 14-277.3A of the General Statutes for North Carolina鈥檚 definition of stalking.

Consent must be received prior to engaging in sexual activity and shall be defined as affirmative action through clear words or actions that creates the mutual understandable permission of all parties to willingly engage in sexual activity and the conditions of such activity. Consent can only be given by one who has the mental and physical capacity to make such a decision, and it must be clear, knowing, and voluntary. Consent to engage in one form of sexual activity cannot automatically imply to consent to engage is any other form of sexual activity. Previous relationships or prior consent cannot imply consent to future sex acts. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Consent may not be granted by a person known to be, or by one who should be known to be, mentally or physically incapacitated. It should be recognized that the lack of protest or resistance is not, in and of itself, consent and persons who are asleep, unconscious, or unable to communicate due to a mental or physical condition are not capable of granting consent.

Campus & Community Resources

The abuse and use of drugs and alcohol are subjects of immediate concerns in our society. These problems are extremely complex and ones for which there are no easy solutions. From a safety perspective, the users of drugs or alcohol may impair the well-being of all employees, students, and the public at large; drug and alcohol uses may also result in damage to college property. Therefore, it is the policy of this college that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or alcohol, is prohibited while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activities. Any employee or student violating this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion and referral for prosecution. The specifics of this policy are as follows:
  1. 起点传媒 does not differentiate between drug users or sellers. Any employee or student who possesses, uses, sells, gives, or in any way transfers a controlled substance to another person, or manufactures a controlled substance while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion and referral for prosecution.
  2. The term controlled substance means any drug listed in 21 CFR Part 1308 and other federal regulations, as well as those listed in Article V, Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes. Generally, these are drugs that have a high potential for abuse. Such drugs include, but are not limited to, Heroin, Marijuana, Cocaine, PCP, and Crack. They also include legal drugs which are not prescribed by a licensed physician.
  3. If any employee or student is convicted of violating any criminal drug statute while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity, he or she will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion. Alternatively, the college may require the employee or student to successfully finish a drug abuse program sponsored by an approved private or governmental institution as a precondition for continued employment or enrollment at the college.
  4. Each employee or student is required to inform the college, in writing, within five (5) days after he or she is convicted for violation of any federal, state, or local criminal drug statute where such violation occurred while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity. A conviction means a finding of guilt (including a plea of nolo contendere) or the imposition of a sentence by a judge or jury in any federal or state court.
  5. Convictions of employees working under federal grants, for violating drug laws in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity, shall be reported to the appropriate federal agency.鈥  Director of Human Resources must notify the U. S. government agency, with which the grant was made, within ten (10) days after receiving notice from the employee or otherwise receives actual notice of a violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the work place. The college shall take appropriate disciplinary action within 30 calendar days from receipt of notice.鈥  As a condition of further employment on any federal government grant, the law requires all employees to abide by this policy.
  6. Any employee or student who unlawfully possesses, uses, sells, or transfers alcoholic beverages to another person while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion and referral for prosecution.
  7. If an employee or student is convicted of violating any alcoholic beverage control statute while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity, he or she will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion. Alternatively, the college may require the employee or student to successfully finish an alcoholic rehabilitation program, sponsored by an approved private or governmental institution as a precondition for continued employment or enrollment at the college.
  8. The term alcoholic beverage includes beer, wine, whiskey, and any other beverage listed in Chapter 18B of the General Statutes of North Carolina.
  9. Each employee or student is required to inform the college, in writing, within five (5) days after he or she is convicted of any alcoholic beverage control statute where such violation occurred while in the work place, on college premises, or as part of any college sponsored activity.

* Students employed under the College Work Study Program are considered to be employees of the college, if the work is performed for the college in which the student is enrolled. For work performed for a federal, state, local public agency, a private non-profit or a private for-profit agency, students are considered to be employees of the college unless the agreement between the college and the organization specifies that the organization is considered to be the employer.

College Policies & Procedures